(a) Beginning October 1, 1995, the Director of the Department of Forensic Sciences shall charge and collect three hundred dollars ($300) per hour for the use of department personnel in private lawsuits arising from death investigations and other criminal investigations the department conducts pursuant to Section 36-18-2.

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Terms Used In Alabama Code 36-18-8

  • Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
  • Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
  • following: means next after. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
  • state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
  • Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
(b) The fee shall be applied to time spent for any or all of the following:

(1) Preparation for trial.
(2) Testimony.
(3) Depositions.
(4) Travel.
(5) Consultations.
(6) Time spent in any additional actions imposed by private lawsuits arising from criminal investigations.
(c) Proceeds from the fees shall be forwarded by the department, no later than 30 days after collection, to the State Treasurer. All amounts received by the State Treasurer shall be credited to the Alabama Forensic Services Trust Fund and shall be administered by the Director of Forensic Sciences. The State Treasurer shall invest money in the fund as provided by law but all earnings from the fund shall be credited to the fund. Money in the fund at the end of the fiscal year shall remain in the fund, and shall not revert to the General Fund. No funds shall be withdrawn or expended except as budgeted and allocated according to law and only in the amounts authorized by the Legislature in the general appropriation bill or other appropriation bills.